The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1455

Hao Xuan had already reached the room Rukia had given him by the time Luz caught up.

"There you are, friend Jin!" he ran up to him but paused upon seeing the blood, "Are you okay? Should Luz call for healer?" he asked with some concern but Hao Xuan took his hand away to reveal a minor scar.

"No need, it was nothing but a scratch."

"Ohh, amazing!" he clapped in awe of his healing abilities, "It was close fight yes? Maybe next time you can win after getting a weapon!"

"Next time?" Hao Xuan glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, "I already won, and I don't need a weapon to fight someone like her. She is a fine warrior but lacks a proper combat technique. Perhaps she is a better cultivator," he mused while pushing the door open to walk in, leaving the shocked Luz behind.

"Y-You won?!" he repeated after breaking out of his daze.

"I did."

"B-But the blood-"

"A scratch, like I said. She paid a much heavier price but as long as she learns from this experience it will be all good," Hao Xuan muttered while examining his new abode.

It was a small room with a bed, a cupboard, and one window that opened into the back alley.

It was cleaner than anything he had come across so far so there was nothing to complain about either. He laid down on the bed and felt his eyelids turn heavy.

Luz stood around for a couple of minutes before awkwardly taking his leave.

"You r-rest now, friend Jin. Luz must return to Lady Yukio, she might get worried. I come back in two day's time and show you around, yes?"

Hao Xuan opened his eyes halfway to wave goodbye to the expectant demihuman.

If everyone else treated him like Bertha then he must have been lonely and Hao Xuan might be his only 'friend' or at least the only one willing to put up with him.

"Yes, that sounds very good. I will wait for Brother Luz until then."

"Yes! Blessed dreams, friend Jin!" he replied with a toothy grin.

The door closed and Hao Xuan was left to his own devices after a very long day.

*sigh*

'Not a bad start. I've got a roof over my head and a warm place to sleep, even a door this time,' he chuckled thinking to himself but realized he didn't remember what that particular thought was in reference to.

He sat up, backed up against the wall and crossed his legs to meditate.

'I must try to remember what happened after I fell into the river of time. Just how long did I spend in there?'

But even after an hour of non-stop attempts nothing came up. There was too much to go through and he couldn't differentiate between the ones he had experienced himself and the memories of all the souls that were combined into his own.

"There has to be a better way," he thought out loud, "-Maybe they have the answer?"

The Nine and the marks they had left him were his trump cards.

'Should I activate my mark properly? It might show different results. Then...which one? It has to be the highest-ranked one, right?'

This would be the first time Hao Xuan would be activating the 'Crown of Darkness' in all its glory after traveling back, and that came with a few concerns of its own.

'Will the Nine find be able to find me if I use their individual marks? Lord Jyothi said that it was done subconsciously so unless I ask to speak with them they might not ever know about me...well everyone but her, the Void Mother. I am her champion so obviously she would be aware if I suddenly popped up but...from what I remember she was sealed away so there is a chance that it could all be done without alerting anyone...'

At least that's what he hoped.

Hao Xuan closed his eyes and reached into himself, into his very soul that was sealed by their marks. There he called for it and it answered without fear.

The natural light coming in through the window dimmed as Hao Xuan's figure was doused in shadows.

First came the whispers of all the soul shards he had absorbed. It appeared they had grown weary in their solitude, locked away by the Nine.

The whispers grew louder, increasing in both intensity and quantity until the shadows congregated above his head to form a crown made of void fire which silenced them all.

Hao Xuan opened his eyes and all the lights vanished for an instant before slowly creeping back in fear of what lay atop his skull.

This phenomenon was even stronger outside of the inn but visible only to a select few.

Several silhouettes from across the three levels of the city peered into the nightly sky to catch a glimpse of the mighty pillar of purple light that appeared for a fraction of a second.

"What a powerful connection! A Lord Attendant must be here!"

"Find him quickly, we must make his acquaintance!"

"Tsk! Why is one of them here?! This could spell trouble...did they follow us?!"